The anticipation is building in the football world as the prestigious Ballon d'Or awards for 2023 draw closer. With a year full of thrilling action in both the men's and women's games, fans are eager to find out who will be crowned as the best footballers in the world.
Nominee Announcement:
The much-awaited announcement of the Ballon d'Or 2023 nominees has arrived. The list of nominees for both the men's and women's categories has been unveiled, along with the contenders for the Yashin and Kopa awards, which recognize the best goalkeeper and Under-21 player, respectively.
HERE ARE ALL THE BALLON D'OR NOMINEES! 🌕✨#ballondor pic.twitter.com/hg1ZByzhDV
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 6, 2023
Ceremony Date:
The grand event, the Ballon d'Or 2023 ceremony, is scheduled to take place at the prestigious Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30. This will be the moment when the winners of the coveted Ballon d'Or awards are officially revealed.
Men's Ballon d'Or Favorites:
In the men's category, all eyes are on Lionel Messi, who is the hot favorite to secure his eighth Ballon d'Or title. Messi's exceptional performances inspired Argentina to clinch the World Cup in Qatar last December. His seven goals in the tournament, including a pivotal brace in the final, earned him the Golden Ball and the admiration of fans worldwide.
Another strong contender is Erling Haaland, who enjoyed a sensational debut season with Manchester City. Haaland's prolific goal-scoring spree, with an astonishing 52 goals across all competitions, played a pivotal role in City's historic Treble under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. While Messi and Haaland are the frontrunners, other star players such as Vinicius Junior, Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe, and Rodri are also expected to be in contention.
Women's Ballon d'Or Favorites:
In the women's category, the spotlight is on Spain's Aitana Bonmati, who is strongly tipped to clinch the award. Bonmati's exceptional year saw her lead Spain to their first-ever Women's World Cup victory in Australia and New Zealand, where she also won the Golden Ball for her outstanding performances.
Alexia Putellas, her compatriot and teammate, had secured the Ballon d'Or in the past two years but was sidelined due to injury for most of the last year. This paved the way for Bonmati to shine and stake her claim as the favorite.
Other notable contenders include Sam Kerr, who netted an impressive 29 goals for Chelsea during their domestic double-winning season and represented the Matildas at the home World Cup. Additionally, the versatile Georgia Stanway could also be a strong candidate after her notable contributions to England's World Cup journey and clinching the title with Bayern Munich.
As the football world eagerly awaits the Ballon d'Or 2023 ceremony, fans, and pundits alike will be on the edge of their seats, speculating about who will walk away with football's most prestigious individual honors. The countdown to October 30 has begun, and the excitement is palpable as we inch closer to celebrating the best in the beautiful game.
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